Simplicity and Complexity
by Shinryudan
Summary: An epilogue to, "A Journey to the Past." Six years later, many of Fairy Tail's wizards have settled down and started families, giving rise to a new generation of wizards. The seeming simplicity of this existence belies complexity that accompanies life. OC and AU Rated T to be safe. FFX content promises to be minimal, so not labeled a crossover, but refers to previous story content.
1. New Beginnings

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or Final Fantasy X._

(Timeframe: Following the Battle with Seymour)

The morning sun was just rising over Magnolia. The warmth of the beginnings of sunlight penetrated the cold morning air, touching the spires of the Fairy Tail guild hall.

The town, more a city at that point, was still with morning lethargy. The only ones awake were the lawyers working in their offices and the merchants preparing their wares in their stores. The wizards of Magnolia had yet to wake, and join at Fairy Tail's guild hall to catalyze the bustling of a growing city.

In a newer part of Magnolia, however, there was a family that was also awake. In the Ambassador's Residence in Magnolia, Natsu d'Elorien was tirelessly poring over all sorts of governmental paperwork. In recent years, Natsu had become very efficient at his job, especially with a pair of Speed-reading Glasses, managing to finish most of his work for the next two days by seven o'clock.

Natsu set down his fountain pen, and put his paperwork away to get up and move around. He opened the curtain to let in some of the morning light to illuminate his office.

"Things have been somewhat quiet recently, haven't they?" Natsu said quietly, to himself.

"If by quiet, you mean that nobody's been threatening the world's safety, then you would right, Natsu." Lucy said from the door to the study, still in her robes.

"Good morning, dear." Natsu said, giving Lucy a kiss.

It had been six years since the allied guilds of Team Veratos had rallied together in order to defend Crocus against a gigantic beast in the sky. Only the Magic Council was aware of the true details of the event, and had sworn to keep it a secret so as not to cause the public anxiety over their safety. It would not have been good for the Magic Council to release such information, as the activities of the Order of Shadows had completely escaped their notice.

Now that things had calmed down in Fiore and the rest of Earth Land, Natsu was looking forward to being able to spend more time with his family. Natsu put his paperwork away, and went downstairs to wait in the dining room for Lucy to change. He sat down at the head of the table, where he was met by Virgo.

"Good morning, Lord Ambassador." Virgo said.

"Virgo, I would prefer if you just called me Natsu. Even having lived as a prince for a few years, I'm not used to being addressed so formally." Natsu said.

"I apologize, but I cannot bring myself to address you in such a manner. It is above my honor as a maid to do so, my lord." Virgo said, while handing Natsu the newspaper.

"Very well. Just call me lord, but that's it. None of this, 'Lord Ambassador,' business." Natsu said, as he opened the newspaper.

Suddenly, Natsu heard the rapid thudding of footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Daddy!" Braska said in an excited and happy voice.

Lucy and Celesta followed close behind. Celesta was a generally quiet girl, but was sociable enough for a six-year-old. Braska, on the other hand, had inherited his father's active and boisterous personality. Like other children of magical heritage, and especially from two very powerful wizards, the two children had shown signs of being able to use magic from a young age. Natsu and Lucy hadn't decided on when their magic education would begin.

The two children were hoisted onto highchairs by Virgo. Lucy sat down as Virgo then served the family their breakfast: omelettes, with some habañero pepper added to Natsu's. Braska and Celesta ate their breakfasts quickly, and then went to the parlor.

Strangely enough, Braska and Celesta had taken an avid interest in playing music, especially on the viola, in the past year. For their fourth birthday, Natsu had bought them handcrafted violas from Elorien and hired a private tutor to come to the residence to teach them. Even more curiously, they had learned to read extremely early, and were reading short stories independently.

"Oh, look at the time! It's time for the children to go to school! We can't have them missing the first day! And Juvia invited us over for tea today!" Lucy said.

"The car is out front, milady." Virgo said.

"Braska, Celesta, it's time to go!" Natsu said.

The two got their bags and headed to the car outside. As the family piled in, Virgo asked if she should drop off the children or Natsu and Lucy first. Natsu said that he'd like to meet his children's teacher. Virgo nodded, and headed off in the direction of the Magnolia Private Academy.

When they arrived, Braska and Celesta stared up at the large marble edifice, and remarked on how it wasn't as big as their grandparents', "house."

"You can't compare everything to the Diamond Palace. Besides, this is one of the bigger buildings in Magnolia." Lucy said.

Virgo waited in the car outside the building, while Natsu and Lucy escorted Braska and Celesta to their classroom. When they found the classroom, it turned out that several parents had had the same idea about meeting their children's teacher.

Braska and Celesta joined the rest of their classmates on one side of the room as their teacher introduced herself to the parents.

"Hello. My name is Lorea Ferin, and I will be your children's teacher for their first grade year. I assure you, I have been well trained at the University of Crocus, and have all the proper credentials." she said.

This introduction apparently eliminated any doubts that the parents held regarding her, so many of them left. Lucy remained to ask her one more question.

"Ms. Ferin, please notify us if Braska gets into fights. He's quite active, and is somewhat combative like his father. As for Celesta, just tell us if she's by herself too often. She's always been a bit reserved, so we'd prefer if she were more social." Lucy said.

"Don't worry, Mrs. d'Elorien." Lorea said.

Lucy nodded, and then left, telling Braska and Celesta to behave at school. The two children nodded, and sat down at their desks.

"Class, my name is Ms. Ferin. It's very nice to meet all of you." Lorea said.

"It's very nice to meet you too, Ms. Ferin." the class said in unison.

"For our first day, I want all of you to introduce yourselves in front of the class. Tell us your name, what you like to do, and your favorite place to be." Lorea said.

Several children introduced themselves normally, some quieter than others, expressing rather ordinary interests.

However, one child said, "My name is Shiran Efito, I like to fight with my fists, and I like to be in the East Forest, beating up Vulcans!"

The boy was showed a great pride in who he was, and seemed to want to make that clear to everyone. However, Braska, like his father would have done, was determined to beat him at his own game.

"My name is Braska d'Elorien, I like to play music, and my favorite place is the Fairy Tail guild hall!" he declared loudly.

Some of the boys who were friends with Shiran laughed at Braska for talking about the Fairy Tail guild hall as if it were a place he'd be familiar with. While he certainly did hang around the guild and its members frequently, it was not expected of a child to know about wizard guilds.

"Why don't you stop lying, little squirt?" Shiran said haughtily.

"Who're you calling a squirt?" Braska said.

"Now both of you, calm down. Go back to your seats, and behave." Lorea said.

Celesta proceeded to introduce herself rather modestly, saying that she preferred to stay at home and read. She also said that she was Braska's twin sister, which amazed some children, having never met twins before. Many of the other children, and Lorea, were also surprised to know that she could read so early. Celesta also revealed that Braska could read as well, inflaming the situation between Braska and Shiran.

The children were then released for recess, giving them time to acquaint with one another. Braska was quick to make friends with other boys that had wizard parents, while Celesta befriended many other girls, of wizard parentage or otherwise. The two were fairly popular among most children, save for those who were friends of Shiran.

Shiran went up to Braska and said, "Know your place around here, squirt. We don't like foreigners. My grandpa says you guys are bad news for Fiore. Why don't you just go back where you came from?"

"What are you talking about? I was born here, just like the rest of you!" Braska said angrily.

"Braska, stop it... Daddy said not to get mad at people..." Celesta said, trying to calm her brother down.

"Don't all of you know? He's the son of the ambassador from Elorien! So he's also a spoiled rich kid! His sister too!" Shiran said.

Some kids started gasping, not having known about Braska and Celesta's background. Some kids backed away from them, but then Glacia and two of her friends came to see what was happening.

"What do you guys think you're doing!? Just because their dad isn't from around here, doesn't mean that they're bad people! You should be ashamed!" Glacia said.

"Why don't you leave us alone? This between us! This doesn't matter to you fifth graders!" Shiran said.

"Do you want to get beat, kid?" Glacia said coldly, reminiscent of Gray's former aggressive nature.

Shiran and his friends backed off, and left Braska and Celesta alone. Glacia asked if they were OK, but Braska became angry, telling Glacia that she shouldn't have interfered.

"You would have gotten clobbered!" Glacia said.

Braska gave up, knowing this would be true. The teachers called their students inside for the remainder of the day's lessons. Braska and Celesta breezed through learning the alphabet, although they preferred reading and in the Elorienne style of the alphabet, which was more flowing, and more akin to calligraphy, although vastly more legible. While other children were still learning the first ten letters, Braska and Celesta could already read at a relatively high level for their age.

When school was dismissed, Lorea took Braska and Celesta to meet with their parents. Lorea informed them what happened with Shiran that day, and urged them to help Braska not take it personally.

"While I certainly don't approve of racism in schools, I imagine that this boy Shiran doesn't really understand what he's saying. I'll let my husband know. Thank you, Ms. Ferin." Lucy said.

"Also, I wanted to talk to you about something else. Braska and Celesta demonstrated an accelerated understanding in all material I covered today. I was wondering where they had learned this." Lorea said.

"I taught them to read when they were younger, because I believe that reading is an important skill, especially for wizards. They've taken an active interest in learning ever since." Lucy said.

"Well, in that case, I will be meeting with the other grade level teachers to discuss a diagnostic test for Braska and Celesta. Depending on how well they do, they will be given different schoolwork from the other children, but will stay in my classroom." Lorea said.

Lucy nodded, and said goodbye to Lorea. Lucy watched Braska and Celesta as they sat with their books. Although they had learned to read and write so early because of her, Lucy knew they had an innate thirst for knowledge, and that would lead them to many places. Living among wizards had that effect on people.

**_Note: So, because I don't have time to write about Braska and Celesta growing up slowly, I may skip a few years every chapter or two. Hopefully, you like this story as much as the first one!_**


	2. The New Generation

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail or Final Fantasy X._

(Timeframe: Braska and Celesta are now twelve years old.)

A group of boys raced through Magnolia's streets, wreaking havoc with their magic. Old women taking down clothes from their lines yelled chastisements as bedsheets were blown away. Shopkeepers also tried to scold the boys as they stole an apple or two from the stalls.

The boy at the head of the group had shiny, black, and straight hair, and wore a white and black double breasted coat with a blue tie decorated with the Elorienne Imperial Crest. His grey pants were tucked into his black strapped boots. On his hand was a white Fairy Tail Guild Mark. His face was heavily reminiscent of a certain rose-colored-haired wizard.

"Braska d'Elorien! I swear, one day your parents will have to set you straight!" an old man whose stall was knocked over by Braska and his friends.

"Sorry, Mr. Taril!" Braska said, as he ran forward.

While already well known as a prodigy in many fields, and the son of Natsu and Lucy d'Elorien, Braska had also acquired a reputation as the city's resident troublemaker. He and his wizard friends would run around town pulling pranks at some times, while helping the townspeople at others.

Five years in a public school had done nothing to tame Braska's fiery personality. He was a rambunctious child, and brandished his magic as a symbol of his superiority to the other boys. While it earned him respect among some young wizard boys, it also made him the envy of many others.

"Aryn, Dreyas, Fazen, race you guys to Fairy Tail!" Braska yelled.

"You're on!" Aryn said.

The other two boys nodded, and the boys began their race toward the guild hall. Aryn flew upward with his Windwalker magic, and began jumping on the currents of the wind itself. It was like the dance of a graceful fairy on the gales, only fitting for the son of Wendy Conbolt (née Marvell), the Sky Dragon Slayer. Romeo and and Wendy had gotten married a year after Braska and Celesta were born, and had a son named Aryn, who had become good friends with Braska and Celesta.

Dreyas, the son of Gajeel and Levy, was a strong-willed Earth Dragon Slayer. His newly-created magic was a combination of his father's Iron Dragon Slayer Magic and Lorsa's Earth Magic, the latter of which he'd learned when making trips to the Sabertooth guild. He rode the pulsations of the earth he created with his magic, but managed to avoid ravaging the town in the process (a trait of contained enthusiasm inherited from his mother).

Fazen, son of Erza and Jellal, a quiet and reserved boy, was the youngest of the four. His power, however, was unique and powerful. Fazen was the sole practitioner of the Ark of the Divine in all of Fiore. His father had brought him a book on it during a trip to Elorien, where the magic was common among the men and women who sequestered themselves in the Dragon Temples to learn the secrets of the gods, and thus practiced their magic to this end. Fazen rode, propelling himself through the air using light energy.

Braska had started last, giving the other boys a head start, confident in his own abilities. Braska's magic was derived from Natsu's Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, as well as Natsu's other magics that he'd learned in Elorien. Unlike his father, he'd yet to earn a single tattoo to mark his master of a magical discipline. Combining both his father's magic and Aural Magic, Braska had created Dragonsbane Magic, which drew on the magic inherent in nature and the power of dragons, and fused them to create myriad spells. It wasn't as potent as each individual Dragon Slayer's magic, but had the unique advantage of magic power efficiency, as well as giving the user the ability to combine magic independently.

"Dragonsbane Magic: Sky Dragon Jetstream!" Braska said, creating a burst of wind from his hands, in a similar fashion to Natsu's Fire Dragon's Wing Attack, in order to propel himself forward.

The four boys raced through the air, flying toward the Fairy Tail guild, overtaking each other many times. However, when they arrived at the guild hall, the boys tried converge on the door simultaneously, and instead crashed into each other, breaking down the door in the process.

Inside, the boys' families and the other Fairy Tail wizards were gathered in conversation and general interactions. Unfortunately, they all met with Glacia's feet upon entering the guild hall.

"I swear, you boys cause so much trouble around here! Why don't you just calm down, and walk or run here like normal people!?" Glacia said, threatening to freeze them with her Ice Magic.

"Please leave my idiotic brother and his equally foolish alone, Glacia." a voice said from the upper balcony.

A young woman in a blue and white knee length skirt, exposing her blue Fairy Tail guild mark on her left shoulder stood there, overlooking the ruckus.

"Celesta, you don't need to stick up for your brother all the time. He's not a little crybaby anymore... I hope." Glacia said.

"Glacey, please calm down... I don't like it when you beat up people... It's scary..." a timid boy said, cowering behind Glacia.

"Azaleon, sometimes it needs to be done. Idiots like them need a little discipline." Glacia said to her younger brother.

Azaleon was around eight years old, having been born a few months after Braska and Celesta were. He was a quiet boy, rather unlike either of his parents in most respects. If one had to ascribe any similarities between he and his parents, it would be that Azaleon resembled his father greatly and could use Water Magic like his mother. Unlike his sister or the other boys, he had little interest in fighting with magic, and instead spent time perfecting it as an art form, although he could hold his own sparring against others his age.

Celesta descended to end the altercation, and pulled up her brother by his collar, scolding him about his magic's destructive nature.

"You're lucky Dad isn't here, otherwise he'd beat you up like you wouldn't believe!" Celesta yelled in his ear.

"Yeah, yeah... Let go of my ear, will ya? And stop yelling me while you're at it. You'll ruin your annoyingly shrill voice even more..." Braska said.

"What was that?" Celesta said, coming close to slapping Braska.

"Braska, no offense, but it looks like your sister is handing your ass to you..." Aryn said, smirking.

The other, older wizards of the guild laughed at the young wizard's comment, all in hearty agreement. In a very Natsu-esque manner, Braska yelled and began a fight in the guild with Glacia, gradually pulling in his friends. As powerful as the boys were, there was no way they could match the older, more experienced Glacia in battle skill. Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Celesta's temper began to flare.

"Will you break it up already!? Aeon Magic: Dividing Blast!" Celesta said, launching a blast of wind that separated Braska and his friends and Glacia.

Celesta's face was positively livid with rage, but Braska just started laughing hysterically. Aryn, Dreyas, and even Fazen started laughing. Celesta demanded to know what was so funny.

"You know Celesta, you're pretty funny, even if it's when you're angry. Just watch out, you might drive away the boys, although they're already scared as it is." Braska said, before dodging a punch to the head.

"Celesta, calm down. Braska's just having some harmless fun." Lucy said, getting up from a table behind the young wizards.

"But he always does this! It's not fair that he has to have fun at my expense!" Celesta complained.

"Come now. It's just in boys' nature. Soon enough, he's going to grow up and realize that he'll drive away the ladies with his antics. Give him a year or two. Your father used to tease me all the time when we used to go on missions together." Lucy said to her daughter.

Celesta walked off in a huff and went to talk with her own friends, the younger daughters of the most esteemed wizards in the guild. Lucy sighed, wondering about how much Celesta resembled Natsu but acted much like her.

Arelia, the daughter of Jellal and Erza, at eleven years old, was the successor to her father's legacy as one of the only users of Heavenly Body Magic left. Like her father, she was a compassionate individual, but was also somewhat mischievous.

Then there was Larina, the ten-year-old daughter of Gajeel and Levy. She had inherited her mother's proclivity for intellectual pursuits. Her unique variant of Solid Script, Living Ink, had the ability to produce a variety of effects based on the kind of literature, music, or art she was channeling.

Solia, Wendy and Romeo's daughter, was one of the youngest new Fairies. While quite shy like her mother used to be, she was good friends with the older girls, even though at nine-years old, she wasn't even beginning to understand their personal affairs.

While the boys talked about how they were going to go on quests like their fathers did and other grandiose ambitions, the girls talked about more private matters, such as their opinions of the boys and other girls in the city.

Most of the Fairy Tail children had finished their public schooling considerably early, save for Solia and Azaleon, who were just finishing their studies. It had become a tradition among parents in Fairy Tail to teach their children to read very early, so the parents could focus on the children's magic education.

Just then, Fairy Tail's resident fathers, Natsu, Gray, Jellal, and Gajeel arrived. Their loud voices pervaded the guild hall, spreading an infectious laughter and creating a sociable atmosphere. The older men of Fairy Tail talked and joked while they drank, and the women discussed their home lives and their children.

"Braska, Celesta, in three days, your uncle and his family are coming to visit!" Natsu said, yelling across the guild hall and upstairs.

"Oh great, that means that bastard Auron's coming..." Braska said.

"Who's Auron?" Dreyas asked.

"Only Braska's least favorite cousin. They get into fights every time our Uncle Sorian comes to visit us here." Celesta said.

"Why do you dislike him so much? I didn't think you disliked anyone more than Shiran." Fazen asked.

"He thinks that because he's been using a sword longer than I have that he's better than me. Not to mention he's a copying bastard." Braska said angrily.

"In what way?" Aryn said.

"Braska's magic consists of skills gathered from all the Dragon Slayer disciplines, and Auron uses magic called Devilsbane, which consists of all the Devil Slayer disciplines. Braska thinks that he copied him, even though they're the same age." Celesta said.

"Braska, just calm down for once. There's no need to fight with Auron all the time. It's not good manners." Lucy said.

"But he's the one who always starts it!" Braska said complainingly.

"It doesn't matter. I want you to get along with your cousin. And, in case your father didn't tell you, Auron isn't the only one coming. Grandfather and Grandmother are coming as well, along with your father's cousin, because they haven't met in a few years. So that means your second cousins will be here too, in three days." Lucy said, before going back downstairs.

Braska splayed out on the floor, complaining about how they always had company, and the house was never quiet and that he and his father never had any time to spar. All he ever did those days was go out with his friends and mess around, practice his viola, and occasionally read. In short, Braska was bored.

"I don't understand why you're complaining. I like it when we have company." Celesta said.

"Well, you're a _girl_. You're supposed to—" Braska said, before getting hit upside the head.

"You know if you keep being a sexist _asshole_, you're never going to get girls to like you." Celesta said.

"And you're never going to get guys to like you if you keep being a violent and ill-tempered _bitch_!" Braska said.

That was the last straw. After that exchange of insults, the two began readying their magic. The other children went to get Natsu and Lucy, because they knew that if the two raging siblings were not stopped, they could easily level the guild hall to the ground.

Before Lucy and Natsu could get to the top of the stairs, Makarov had appeared, stopping the two from fighting by pressing them to the floor with his enlarged hands.

"Now you two, quit your damn squabbling! We're all members of Fairy Tail, so we need to help one another through our flaws, not simply point them out to be criticized!" Makarov said.

The two grudgingly agreed, and gave up against Makarov's strength. Even with its fights and squabbles, Fairy Tail was just another happy family, connected by magic and powerful sense of camaraderie.


	3. Changes

_Disclaimer: I don__'__t own Final Fantasy X or Fairy Tail._

(Timeframe: Three days later)

Braska was awoken by something's vain attempt in trying to pull him out of bed. His vision was still blurred from sleep. A child's voice became more and more distinct with time.

"Braska, Celesta, come downstairs and play music!" Vensan, Braska and Celesta's young cousin said.

The two were usually inclined to be annoyed at such a rude awakening, but considering that it was their five-year old cousin, they didn't make any comments. His mother, Amalia, walked in, apologizing for her son's intrusion. Braska and Celesta quickly had their showers, got dressed, and met their family for breakfast.

In the dining room, the twins were greeted by their parents, Sorian and his family, and their grandparents.

"Grandfather, Grandmother, it is good to see you." Braska and Celesta said, bowing to them.

"Dispense with the formalities, children!" Farienne said, gesturing for them to give her a hug. The two obliged.

Farienne and Rizael, despite their age, were still in good health and appearance. Rizael's raven black hair was still as shiny as it was years ago, with almost no grey hair. Farienne's hair had faded somewhat, however.

As soon as Braska and Auron's eyes met, the two were at each other's throats, throwing one insult after another. While their mothers worried the boys would cultivate foul language habits, the boys' father encouraged the rivalry, as it gave excuses to sparring. Celesta, meanwhile, gave up when it came to a fight between the cousins, knowing full well that that one of them alone could easily take her in a one-on-one battle.

Lucy suggested that they all meet up at Aryle, a prestigious restaurant that had opened up at the center of Magnolia, that night. The children went out to enjoy themselves until nightfall, but left Vensan with the adults, because he was too young. Auron was a member of the Elorien Branch of Fairy Tail, which Auron described as being considerably more orderly than the Fiore Branch. People held duels rather than brawls, banquets instead of dinners, and soirées instead of carousals.

"We're rather refined, unlike you, Braska. Although I bet everyone in your guild is the same way." Auron said tauntingly.

"At least we don't worry about getting our shirts dirty at a party..." Braska grumbled.

"Braska, you're being really hypocritical. If you didn't care about whether your clothes got dirty, you wouldn't wear Elorien suits the way you do. At least I'm honest about how I wear the dresses because I think they look pretty." Celesta said.

"I take a little pride in my appearance, you know!" Braska said.

"Admit it: you're just as much of prissy little noble as you think I am." Auron said.

"At least I don't try to be prissy!" Braska said, about to punch Auron.

The young wizards went to the guild hall to meet up with Braska and Celesta's friends, who had never met Auron before. The other Fairy Tail children gathered around him, talking to him as if he were one of there own. The boys invited him to spar with them and the girls probed him for all kinds of information to talk about later.

"Braska, why don't we have a duel? It's been a while since we last fought!" Auron said.

"Fine... but I'm not about to show you any mercy just because we're cousins!" Braska said.

From the bar, Mirajane and Elfman watched the beginning of the altercation. Mirajane remarked on how much Braska had turned out like Natsu, but was physically like his grandfather, Rizael.

"He's turning out to be a real man! Just needs to build those manly muscles, like mine!" Elfman said.

Mirajane laughed and said, "Although, you have to admit that Celesta is quite an upstanding young lady. Whenever she's gone on jobs with her brother, she always gives part of the reward to charity, and helps out whoever she can, whenever she can. But even then, she has her girlish indulgences. She's a lot like Lucy that way."

"Anyway, have you heard anything from Lisanna recently?" Elfman asked.

"She hasn't even called via lacrima. I guess her relationship with Sting takes up more time than I thought. She should focus on her studies, though, if she's going to be a professor." Mirajane said.

Looking back at Auron and Braska, the two had taken to the sparring arena that Fairy Tail had built in order to prevent their guild members' destructive tendencies from harming the people. The two had agreed on a duel, with blades and magic. Ironically, both had chosen katanas, similar to their grandfather, Rizael. It would be a fight to submission, when one of them could see no conceivable victory.

Many of Fairy Tail's wizards had come to see the two cousins battle, . It was wonder that these two titans of magical prowess were even being permitted to have a sparring match. Even the pacifistic Azaleon had come to watch, despite his distaste for fighting. Cana, while downing a large barrel of wine, gave the signal for the two wizards to begin.

The two crossed swords quicker than the unaided eye could see. The metal of the blades bristled with magical power. Braska fired the first magical blow.

"Dragonsbane Magic: Iron Dragon Force!" Braska said, enchanting his sword to be reinforced with the strength of an iron dragon's hide.

As Braska pushed Auron back, the latter retaliated by casting Devilsbane Magic: Earth Devil Eroding Blast. The ground under Braska began to erode into quicksand. The two were able to leap backward, away from each other.

"Clever trick…" Braska said, before launching into Dragonsbane Magic: Lightning Dragon Dance, in which his blade crackled with lightning, while he performed a series of acrobatics, and slashing at Auron, who noticeably struggled to avoid the strikes.

"Devilsbane Magic: Sky Devil Wind Shuriken!" Auron said, launching a barrage of shuriken fashioned from wind, that flew as he slashed with his sword.

Lightning, water, fire, earth, and the other elements rippled through the arena, contorting it into a multitude of shapes. On the sidelines, the multi-generational audience of Fairy Tail cheered on the two combatants. Older members, from afar, looked on in amazement, both at the variation in the spectators, and also at the strength of the guild's members. Makarov commented on how Fairy Tail had grown, and noted that it had started when Lucy came. While not necessarily the cause of these things, Fairy Tail had become embroiled in several conflicts, including the Tower of Heaven Incident, the Liberation of Edolas, and most recently, the Battle of Spira, at around the time that Lucy had joined Fairy Tail.

"Master, it's not like you to contemplate so much. It sounds like you're considering retiring." Mirajane said.

"Well, look around, Mirajane. Fairy Tail has become even more of a family, with so many marriages within the guild. The young people of this guild are far more powerful now than I ever was, even in my prime. Times have changed."

Mirajane nodded in agreement. The guild was still boisterous as it always was, but there was an even great sense of joviality in the guild, because everyone was closer than they were before. At this point, friends had grown up together, being more like cousins. The former friends of Fairy Tail became husbands and wives, and brothers and sisters.

"Even so, Master, it seems some of the old rivalries have been passed down. Just look at Braska and Auron. They're like Natsu and Gray when they were kids!" Mirajane said.

"Indeed, Mira. But listen to me: I must decide upon the seventh master. I cannot choose Laxus, because he feels that he is not appropriate for such a position. Natsu is the ambassador to Fiore, so I can't give him anymore duties. Logically, Gray and Erza would be good candidates. However, Gray is a bit impulsive, and is much too passive in general. He would not be able to take an active role in shaping Fairy Tail's destiny." Makarov said.

"Erza is also a bit violent, Master. Besides, she's a mother now. It may be hard for her to deal with both her son and daughter while juggling the demands of Guild Master." Elfman said.

"I dealt with Laxus and my own son, didn't I!? Although, I must admit that Erza would not be a good master. She has not the tenderness that is required of a master, in order to balance her sternness." Makarov said.

Meanwhile, Braska and Auron's battle raged on. Both of their clothes were quite torn up, and both of them were exhausted. Their now bare chests exposed scars from intense training, and their Mastery tattoos. Needless to say, some girls blushed at the sight of bare chested young men.

Braska's eyes were still full of fire, and a determination to beat Auron. Their fights had always ended in draws before, because someone would end up intervening. But Braska was not about let that happen again.

"Dragonsbane Magic: White Dragon's Judgement!" Braska yelled.

A number of white light ribbons shot forth from Braska's katana, which began to whip around Auron like a whirlwind. The circle of ribbons began to close in on him.

Then, Auron said, "Devilsbane Magic: Black Demon Wave!"

A ripple of dark energy reverberated through the arena, threatening to knock Braska over. However, Braska held his ground, and terminated his spell by having the white light ribbons explode, but in the process, was knocked over by Auron's magic.

When the dust cleared, both young wizards were on the floor, barely able to get up. When they managed to get back up again, their eyes met, and they wanted to continue fighting, but their bodies weren't in it.

"This match is a draw!" Cana declared.

The two sighed in disappointment, but shook hands out courtesy, and also began laughing. As much as they disliked each other's guts, they were family, and also friends.

Celesta leaned over the barrier between the stands and the arena to yell, "Braska, Auron, we need to go home! We have to meet at Aryle with everyone for dinner! Let's go home and get ready!"

The three children ran back to the Ambassador's Residence, and changed into evening clothes. For Braska, this just meant a slightly fancier version of his Elorienne suits, adding a white knee-length open coat. Auron put on something similar, although, instead of a black and white scheme, it was blue and gold. Celesta put on a longer, black and white sleeveless dress, and carried a white sash over her shoulders.

The three piled into the car, and headed off toward Magnolia's new, bustling city center. Similar to other residents of Magnolia on the street at that time, the three were well-dressed for a night on the town. They met their family at the table at the restaurant, and in about half an hour, the meal arrived, having been ordered fifteen minutes earlier.

As they ate, Rizael asked his grandsons about what they did that day. Braska and Auron related their sparring match to their grandfather, and Natsu and Sorian listened with approval. Amalia and Lucy were somewhat exasperated with their husbands' encouragement of fighting. Farienne laughed with her daughter-in-laws, telling them that was how it always would be.

"It seems like my first days with Fairy Tail. Another day, another fight in the guild hall. I remember thinking the entire guild was insane!" Lucy said.

"Mama, when am I gonna get to join Fairy Tail?" Vensan asked his mother.

"When you're older, Vensan. You have yet to prove your worth." Amalia said.

"What do you mean, prove your worth? Fairy Tail, at least here, accepts most if not all people." Natsu said.

"Brother, you seem to have forgotten the intricacies of Elorienne society. Everyone in the Elorien Branch comes from at least one long line of wizards. While we accept others outside this group, our Council of High Wizards determine whether a candidate is strong, or can grow to be so." Sorian said.

"Isn't it the Guild Master's decision to decide that? What's this Council business?" Braska asked.

"In Elorien, the Council, consisting of three elected wizards of repute and strength, decides on whether a person wanting to enter the guild is eligible. Eligibility is based on age, reputation, and ability." Auron explained.

"It seems logical that only people of a certain age and ability should enter, but why should reputation matter?" Celesta asked.

"The guild holds you to a certain standard, particularly if you come from a notable lineage. If your family or another group you're associated with has a bad reputation, the Council has reason to believe you might be the same way. If you do come from such a group, then you have to pledge to uphold both the Fairy Tail code of honor, and also that of Elorienne gentry." Rizael said.

"The Code of Elorienne Gentry: To uphold a righteous and well-mannered disposition. It matters not your birth or wealth, but to maintain a responsibility and respect for oneself and others is an undeniable duty." Sorian explained.

Natsu nodded in agreement, but he didn't necessarily agree with the idea of accepting people based on status. He worried that corruption might come about. He knew the importance of being a gentleman, but Igneel had taught him to be natural and true to himself. Why conform to others' opinions? He didn't want his son and daughter growing up to be pretentious brats, like he'd seen in Elorien.

"I know what you're thinking, Natsu. We shouldn't conform to being so self-righteous and noble. But understand that everything must come in moderation, my son. Those who take their codes of honor so literally often defy the code itself." Rizael said.

When the family had finished their meal, they all went back to the residence and departed for bed. Things had begun to change in Fairy Tail, and throughout Earthland. With the meeting of two worlds, Fiore and Elorien, a new dynamic was unfolding in the world. All of the Fairy Tail parents were aware that their children were a part of this change, and would be instrumental in its fruition.

**_Note: Sorry for not updating last week! I was a little busy, and I was kind of lacking in inspiration. So I read a little bit, and hopefully the story will flow better now. As for anything regarding the Strauss siblings and Cana, their fates will be revealed in the next chapter._**


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